A year ago I suddenly decided that I desperately needed period turnshoes for Rowany Festival. With something stupid like three weeks until Festival, my only option was to make them myself. I thought this was a good option since it would get me shoes on time, and it is significantly cheaper to buy the leather than to buy already made shoes. So I spent two entire weekends with Mister Nathan, who walked me through the entire process and listened to my constant whining because it turns out that making shoes is a tedious and painful business. My poor hands were sore for weeks afterwards. But I ended up with my very own pair of 14th century turnshoes which I had completely made from scratch.
The only problem was that the soles were too thin. I plastered a ridiculous amount of scotch guard and dubbin on them, but the damp just leaked straight through. With two weeks to go until Rowany Festival again, and with my man-cote outfit planned and the underwear almost finished, there's no way I can wear my gumboots. Gumboots under a skirt is one thing, or with a crappy viking tunic worn over a jumper and leggings, but not with hose and brais and a nice wool cote. But seeing as it's so wet in NSW at the moment, even more than usual, my thin little soles don't stand a chance. So I decided to take my shoes to a shoe repair place and get them to nail on a nice new thick sole.
I dropped them off today before work, and after work I picked them up. My medieval turnshoes now have rubber soles on them. Rubber. On my MEDIEVAL shoes. RUBBER. [Insert obscenities here]. I am completely aware that it is my own extreme stupidity that let this happen, because somehow I neglected to mention that I wanted leather soles on my medieval shoes. The thought didn't even cross my mind that they would use something other than leather. So I just paid for my rubber soles and headed straight for my car, where my stupidity started sinking in. I bawled my eyes out the whole way home, because all my hours of hard work have been wasted, because my medieval shoes now have rubber soles. I just want to bury them in the bottom of my closet and forget that they ever existed, but that will have to wait until after Festival. My feet may have a chance at staying dry this Festival, but I would much rather they got soaked.
I might just curl up in the corner and wallow in self misery for the rest of the evening.
The only problem was that the soles were too thin. I plastered a ridiculous amount of scotch guard and dubbin on them, but the damp just leaked straight through. With two weeks to go until Rowany Festival again, and with my man-cote outfit planned and the underwear almost finished, there's no way I can wear my gumboots. Gumboots under a skirt is one thing, or with a crappy viking tunic worn over a jumper and leggings, but not with hose and brais and a nice wool cote. But seeing as it's so wet in NSW at the moment, even more than usual, my thin little soles don't stand a chance. So I decided to take my shoes to a shoe repair place and get them to nail on a nice new thick sole.
I dropped them off today before work, and after work I picked them up. My medieval turnshoes now have rubber soles on them. Rubber. On my MEDIEVAL shoes. RUBBER. [Insert obscenities here]. I am completely aware that it is my own extreme stupidity that let this happen, because somehow I neglected to mention that I wanted leather soles on my medieval shoes. The thought didn't even cross my mind that they would use something other than leather. So I just paid for my rubber soles and headed straight for my car, where my stupidity started sinking in. I bawled my eyes out the whole way home, because all my hours of hard work have been wasted, because my medieval shoes now have rubber soles. I just want to bury them in the bottom of my closet and forget that they ever existed, but that will have to wait until after Festival. My feet may have a chance at staying dry this Festival, but I would much rather they got soaked.
I might just curl up in the corner and wallow in self misery for the rest of the evening.
Take them back, say you stipulated leather soles and they didn't do the right thing and that it really matters to you that they're leather. And that you expect to be able to pick them up on the weekend, fixed. I know it's a bit dodgy but students can't afford to pay for things they don't want! They'll be able to scrape the sole off and fix it, don't worry. I can even recommend a different cobbler in West Perth who I know makes hand-made shoes and would be able to fix the problem if you didn't want to take them to the same place! This Problem Can Be Fixed! Aaaand in time for Festival :)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely not your fault, they should have checked with you what type of sole to put on. Go back to cobbler like Rosie says.
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